Beverage can and accessory



Jan. 10, 1956 P. E. GILBERT 2,729,956

BEVERAGE CAN AND ACCESSORY Filed Sept. 15, 1954 IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent BEVERAGE CAN AND ACCESSORY Philip E. Gilbert, Chicago, Ill.

Application September 13, 1954, Serial No. 455,416

7 Claims. (CI. 65-13) This invention is concerned generally with a beverage container, and more particularly with a device assembled with such a container for facilitating drinking the beverage directly from the container.

At the present time beverages are widely distributed in cans. Fruit juices, soda pop, beer, and many other beverages are packaged in cans of various sizes, many of which are of a proper size to form an individual serving. The cans take up a minimum of space and are readily chilled as compared to most other containers. For home use, it is the general practice either to remove the lid of the can, or to punch holes in the lid so that the beverage can be poured into a glass or cup, or perhaps into a pitcher for proper distribution to individual cups or glasses. However, in many instances it is undesirable to have to provide such separate glasses, cups, or pitchers. Picnics are a typical example of occurrences in which it would be undesirable to have to carry additional glasses or the like, and many additional instances quickly come to mind. Accordingly, it often has been the practice to drink the beverage directly from the can.

When a fiat topped can is punctured near the sides of the top, it is possible to drink from the can directly through the punctured openings. However, this is not the most desirable thing to do. It may be esthetically repellent to some persons, and others find it difficult to drink the beverage without spilling. Women find that the fiat top of the can smears or removes their lipstick, and thus object to drinking directly from the can.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to providea beverage can with an auxiliary lip or cup-like element facilitating the drinking directly from the can following puncturing of the top thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide a beverage can having an auxiliary lip or cup-like portion facilitating drinking from the can, which lip or cup-like portion is disposable with the can.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a beverage can with an auxiliary lip or cup-like portion telescopically associated with the can and normally encircling the can intermediate the ends thereof, but readily moved axially by a simple manual manipulation into drinking position.

A further object of this invention is to provide an auxiliary drinking lip or cup-like portion which is permanently telescoped with a beverage can and which is not susceptible to accidental movement away from drinking position once the auxiliary lip or cup-like portion has been moved to said position.

A further object of this invention is to provide a telescoping auxiliary lip or cup-like portion for facilitating drinking from a can which substantially tightly encircles the can before use, and which is bevelled outwardly for use.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an auxiliary drinking device in association with a beverage can which may be telescopically associated with the can ice after completion of the can, and which thereafter remains telescopically associated with the can.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a beverage can provided with my auxiliary drinking device;

Fig. 2 is a side-view thereof with the auxiliary drinking device in axial section;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of auxiliary drinking device;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side-view of the top portion of the beverage can with the modified drinking device of Fig. 3 associated therewith;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side-view of the bottom portion of the can or beverage container showing the manner in which the modified drinking device is applied to the can;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 3 showing a further modified form of the auxiliary drinking device;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side view of the auxiliary drinking device of Fig. 6 as applied to a can prior to use for drinking; and

Fig. 8 is a view of the auxiliary drinking device of Figs. 6 and 7 as associated with the beverage container or can for drinking.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, there will be seen a beverage container 10 which for illustrative purposes may be considered to be a beer can or soda pop can. The beverage container or can may be of the common 12 oz. size, or it may be larger or smaller. The container or can comprises the usual cylindrical body portion 12 and is provided with a top 14, a bottom (not shown), and top and bottom beads respectively identified by the numerals 16 and 18. The top of the can is substantially flat as is the usual case, and may be punctured at substantially diametrically opposite locations as indicated at 20 and 22 for pouring the beverage from the can, and for simultaneously admitting air to the can above the beverage. Heretofore it has been customary either to pour the beverage from the opening 20 into a drinking glass or cup, or to drink directly from the can through the opening 20. This is not fully satisfactory as previously has been indicated, and may actually be repugnant to some people.

Accordingly, I have provided an auxiliary drinking element or attachment 24 for association with the can. This auxiliary drinking device may be made of metal, plastic, or impregnated paper or fiber, and includes a frusto-conical body portion 26 telescopically associated with the can. The lower, inner edge 28 of the drinking device 24 is of such a diameter as to fit slidingly about the can body 12, and to be too small to move over either bead 16 or 18. The upper, or outer edge 30 is large enough to fit readily past the bead 16, and preferably is provided with a rim or bead 32 for strength, and for providing a more comfortable touch to the person drinking therefrom. The device 24 is completed by a plurality of inwardly directed pro tuberances 34, although it is contemplated that with certain materials these protuberances could take the form of a continuous rib.

It is common practice to complete one end of the can and to have a label provided on the can body before the can is filled and capped, the upper bead being formed at the time the can is capped. Therefore, in. the embodiment of my invention now under discussion, the device 24 readily is telescopically associated with the can or container 10, conveniently resting on the lower bead 18 as indicated in Fig. 1. and the upper bead 16 is formed. When it is desired to drink from the container, the top is punctured as indicated The can then is filled and capped,

at 20 and 22, and the device 24 is telescopically moved from itsinconspicuous position about the can body up into association with the bead 16 as shown in solid lines in Figs. 1 and 2. The frusto-conical configuration of the auxiliary drinking device 24 causes it to wedge against the bead 16 to prevent leaking between the device and the bead, and also to resist movement of the. device back down to its initial telescoped position. The protuberances 34 snap over the bead 16 as will be obvious from an inspection of the drawings, and further inhibit or resist accidental movement of the auxiliary drinking device back to itsinitialtelescoped position. Accordingly, the auxiliary drinking device remains in. its raised position, as shown in Figs 1 and 2, and. it will be obvious that the beverage can be imbibed directly from this device with the same convenience and comfort as forn a glass or cup. However, when the. beverage has been finished there is no necessity of cleaning or storing the auxiliary drinking device. It is merely thrown. away with the empty can.

In some instances'it may be desirable to complete the beverage container or can before the auxiliary drinking device is associated therewith. In this case, as illustrated in Figs. 3-5 wherein like numerals are used for similar partswith the addition of the suflix a, the can is identified by the numeral 10a; The auxiliary drinking device 24a is made of a resilient material such as'plastic', although it is contemplated that metal also could be used. A plurality of axially oriented, circumferentially disposed slots 36 extends upwardly from the lower inner edge 28a of the device 24a. The slits or slots 36 are extremely fine, and

define among them a plurality of fingers 38. The auxiliary drinking device 24a is assembled with the can 10a after completion of the canby forcing thev device'up over the lower bead 18a of the can asshown in Fig. 5, the fingers 38'fiex-ing outwardly and the slots 36 enlarging during such. flexing of the fingers.

Once. the lower. edge 28a of. the auxiliary drinking device has passed over the bead 1811 at the bottom of the can, the fingers 38 snap back to their initial positions, closingthe slots 36 and preventing the auxiliary drinking device from moving rearwardly off of the can. When it isdesired to drink from the can or container, the device 24a istelescopically shifted to the top of the can as illustrated in Fig. 4. The slits or slots 36 as previously noted.

are extremely fine and preclude leaking of liquid between the device 24a and the top bead 16a of the can. The resiliency of the fingers 38 may be relied upon to retain the auxiliary drinking device in operative or drinking position, or protuberances 34a similar to those previously described may be provided.

Frequently'beverage containers, such as cans of beer, areupackagedin groups of six, and certain types of packaging devices require that the cans be placed in close proximity to one another. In order to prevent the auxiliary drinking device: from interfering with such close.

packing, .I have provided a further modified form. of my device. as is .shown' in Figs. 68:. identified by similar numerals in so far as the parts are similar with the addition of the sutfix b. In this modifioation, the auxiliary drinking device 24b is made of paper or other flexible or semi-flexible material, and the upperportion thereof is of the folded over or re-entrant type as may be seen at 40. Thus, the auxiliary .drinking device is capable of being collapsed to a cylindricalform as shown in Fig. 7, about the body 12b of the can or container 10b so that it normally does not project outwardly quite so far as the upper bead 16b and the lower bead 18b. Thus, the auxiliary drinking device does not in any way interfere with close packing of the beverage containers or cans. When it is desired to use the device for. drinking from the can, it is moved telescopically tothe top of. the can in the same manner as previously indicated, the folded. over upper portion 40 of the device being fanned. outwardly in so moving the device that it assumes the frusto-conical shape shown in Fig. 8.

This modification is The auxiliary drinking device 24b readily wedges over the top head when so fanned out as shown in Fig. 8, and the tendency of the auxiliary drinking device to return to its normally cylindrical form causes it snugly to embrace the bead 16b to inhibit accidental retraction of the device.

In each of the forms of my auxiliary drinking device as heretofore shown and described, it will be apparent that the device is telescopically and substantially permanently associated with the beverage container or can be fore the can is sold. Thus the can and auxiliary drinking device are functionally a unitary article and would be sold as such in commerce. The auxiliary drinking device is inexpensive and is readily assembled with the container or can, and may be thrown away along with the empty can when the beverage has been drunk therefrom. Thus, no problems are presented as 'to cleaning or storage of the device. It will be apparent, that the container and auxiliary drinking device would have particular utility for picnics and for spectator sporting events, and for many other uses.

The specific forms of the invention herein shown and described are for illustrative purposes only. Various further changes in structure may readily occur to those skilled in the art, and will be understood as forming a part of my invention in so far as they fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Thepre-assembled unit for drinking beverages comprising a cylindrical can containing a beverage and having laterally projecting beads at the top and bottom thereof and a generally flat top adapted .to be apertured by a pointed instrument and an auxiliary drinking device permanently telescopically associated with said can, said auxiliary drinking device comprising a generally frusto-conical member of sheet material havingopen top andbottom ends, the bottom end having an internal diameter less than that of said beads to retain said device permanently telescopically mounted on said can, and the internal diameter of said bottom end being sufliciently great to allow telescopic sliding movement of said device along said can, said device being movable from a position with both of its ends substantially intermediate the can beads to a position with its upper edge projecting beyond the top bead, the lower edge then being somewhat below said top bead, and saiddevice wedging against said top'bead.

2. The unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary drinking device is substantially uniform throughout its arcuate extent.

3. The unit set forth in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary drinking device is made of resilient material and has slots projecting upwardly from its lower end to facilitate assembling the device from the can.

4. The unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary drinking device is provided at its upper end with a peripheral bead.

5. The .pre-assembled unit for drinking beverages comprising a cylindrical can containing a beverage and having laterally projecting beads at the top and bottom thereof and a generally fiat top adapted to be apertured by a pointed instrument, and an auxiliary drinking device permanently telescopically associated with said can, said auxiliary drinking device comprising a generally frusto-conical member of sheet materialv having open top and bottom ends, the botom end having an internal diameter less than the diameter of said beads to retain said device permanently telescopically mounted on said can, the internal diameter of said bottom end being sufiiciently great to allow telescopic sliding movement of said device along said can, said? device being movable from a storage position with both of its ends substantially intermediate the can beads to a position with its upper edge projecting beyond the top. head, the lower edge then being somewhat below said top. bead with said device wedging against said top bead, and .said device having inwardly projecting- 5 means locking over said top bead when in the last named position to resist retraction of the device to its storage position.

6. The unit set forth in claim 5, wherein the inwardly projecting means comprises a plurality of arcuately spaced projections.

7. The unit as set forth in claim 5, wherein the auxiliary drinking device is provided at its top edge with a circumferential bead.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 186,750 Newton Ian. 30, 1877 6 Rhoads July 3, 1883 Eberley Mar. 8, 1910 Reynolds Nov. 23, 1915 Fabian Apr. 8, 1930 Hommel Mar. 30, 1937 Smithson May 3, 1938 Smith Dec. 24, 1940 Selten Sept. 19, 1944 Hartmann May 8, 1951 

